KATHMANDU: Rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah unseated former Nepal prime minister KP Sharma Oli in his own constituency, Election Commission data showed Saturday, with his party also seemingly headed for a landslide victory nationally.
The 35-year-old’s victory over the 74-year-old Marxist leader — and his rise from city mayor to potential prime minister — marks one of the most dramatic results in recent Nepali politics.
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The high-stakes election on Thursday came six months after deadly protests toppled the government led by Oli, with at least 77 people killed.
The September 2025 youth-led demonstrations, under a loose Gen Z banner, began over a brief social media ban but quickly tapped into broader grievances over corruption and a struggling economy.
Nationwide, Shah’s centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) was on track to win a majority in the 275-member House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, according to early trends issued by the Election Commission, although counting still has far to go.
“Looking at the trend, the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken the lead in many places and has won several seats,” commission spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told AFP.
In his own constituency, in the eastern district of Jhapa, Shah led with more than 59,500 votes with Oli trailing on 16,350 — and with more than 85 percent of votes counted, AFP calculations show Shah has passed the winning threshold.
A large crowd gathered outside the counting centre, cheering and chanting slogans of support, as security in the area was stepped up.
“This is heading to a landslide victory — this reflects the frustration that has been building up,” said political analyst Chandra Dev Bhatta.
“It is actually the people’s revolt against the established political parties,” he added.
“The people understand that the new do not really have strong agendas, but it is a punishment to the parties for their decades-long poor governance.”
“I was 99.99 percent sure he will win, but the majority is shocking. That shows how much the people were upset with the previous government,” Rojan Bhattarai, 22, a student in Jhapa, told AFP.
“He is a performer. He has inspired us all.”
By Saturday afternoon, nearly two days since polls closed, there were 59 declared results — RSP took 48, Nepali Congress won seven, and the Marxist party of ousted prime minister Oli was trailing with two.
Former Maoist guerrilla commander Pushpa Kamal Dahal has one seat for his party.
But trends showed that Shah’s RSP was also leading in 71 of the remaining 106 constituencies in the direct elections.”
